Fair Trade Judaica (FTJ)

Fair Trade Judaica promotes fair trade as a Jewish value through educating the Jewish community, and expanding the production, distribution, and sale of fair trade Judaica products. We envision a world in which Jewish consumers recognize fair trade as an expression of core Jewish values, seek out fair trade Judaica products, and use their purchasing power to support thriving communities of artisans around the world.

Kavanah (Intention) Before Eating Fair Trade Chanukah Gelt

Most cocoa in the world is grown with the labor of trafficked children, who have had their childhoods stolen from them. Choosing Fair Trade Chanukah gelt to celebrate our holiday of liberation helps free other children from that fate.

With deep appreciation to Rabbi Menachem Creditor from Congregation Netivot Shalom in Berkeley, California, who offers this inspiring kavanah:

I hold more than chocolate in my hand. This product I have purchased is a mixture of bitter and sweet flavors, but it contains no taste of slavery. As Channukah is an eight-day reminder that light can penetrate darkness, may this experience of tasting sweet freedom, the bounty of free people’s work, inspire me to add more light to the world.

Fair Trade Judaica's website would never have happened without three extraordinary people:Lisa K. Chanoff, whose generous donation made the project possible,Dean MacDonald who captured our essence with his brilliant logo and artistic influence, andAaron Hodge Silver who took our ideas and built a website we can grow into for a long time to come.